The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the state of Tamil Nadu on a petition filed by K G Kumaraswamy alias Appu, prime accused in the Sankararaman murder case.

A bench comprising Justice G P Mathur and Justice Dalveer Bhandari issued notices after hearing the counsel for the petitioner who contended there was not an iota of evidence to connect the accused with the murder of the deceased.

Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati was arrested by the Special Investigating team of Tamil Nadu police on November 11, 2004. The dead body of Sankararaman, manager of Sri Varadarajaperumal temple was recovered on September 3, 2004, and a case of murder was registered at police station Vishnu Kanchi.

The prosecution case is that the deceased wrote certain letters to the Shankaracharya threatening to expose him following which a conspiracy was hatched and the Shankaracharya decided to spend Rs 50 lakh for the murder of the victim. The present petitioner is alleged to have given two receipts of Rs 10 and 20 lakh to the approver.

The trial of the case was transferred to Pondicherry by the apex court on the petition of the Shankaracharya who expressed the apprehension that free and fair trial was not possible in the state as the Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was taking personal interest in the case.

Jayanendra Saraswati was granted bail by the apex court on January 10, 2005.